Pizza in Melbourne

Pizza is my favourite food; I have loved it since I was 4 or 5 years old. Being in Melbourne I have had to adjust to the way pizza is sold and made here.

Pizza is big business in Melbourne. I have noticed lots of pizza places here. But there are no big franchises and no Aussie franchises. There are 2 American based franchises – Pizza Hut and Domino’s. Of the 2, Domino's has the bigger presence. But it is not on the scale of Pizza Pizza in Toronto.

The majority of Pizza places are individual stores that are located in your neighbourhood. Where I live in 1-2 KM radius there are 3 local pizza shops and 2 pizza restaurants. They do not sell individual slices and open from 5pm – 10:30pm.

There are places in the city which are open for business during the day that do sell slices. But unlike Toronto it’s not a common thing. If you want a slice of pizza and can’t find a pizza place your best option is a Baker’s Delight or a Brumby’s which will sell a variation on pizza. Some places call it slices or Focaccia or rolls. They tend to be cold and either vegetarian slice or ham/pineapples, bacon and cheese or olives and cheese. I really like the Mediterranean – peppers, olives and mushroom.

In Australia they have their own unique way of making pizza and type of pizza. Most places make pizza using thin crust, a little sauce and little bit of cheese and the topping on top of the cheese.

As for Pizza type there are few genuine Pizza’s here in Oz and lots of variations between pizza stores. Here are the most common you will come across:

Aussie
Bacon or Ham and Egg

Capriccoisa
Ham, Mushroom, Olives

Marinara
Garlic, Olives, Shrimp and Smoked Mussels

Margherita
Mozzarella and Oregano

Mexicana
Salami (Pepperoni), Capsicum(Peppers), Black Olives and Chili flakes

The Lot
Ham, Salami, Onion, Peppers, Mushrooms, Olives, Pineapples

What is my favourite ?

I have come to really like the Mexicana at my local pizza shop. It has 2 of my favourite ingredients – Pepperoni and Olives. I also enjoy the Mexicana at the Preston market. Shop on a Saturday morning and have a slice or two of cheesy Mexicana after you have bought all your fruit and veg.